This online guide has
been created for you to successfully
grow a variety of plants that thrive in the tropics,
using native seeds and plants to get growing with wise
advice from fellow backyard gardeners and farmers. You
are welcome to add your wisdom, share seed procurement,
growing, harvest tips and recipes. Send to
proorganicbelize@gmail.co
Welcome to
Pro-Organic Belize
Tropical Garden
Grow Guide
Where you are the
student and the teacher
May 2023 Plant of
the month
| Botanic name: | (Manihot esculenta) |
| Plant type: | A root vegetable that grows well in
tropical climates. |
| Sun exposure: | Full to partial sun |
| Soil pH: | 4.5 – 6.5 |
| Soil preference: | Moist, but not wet, sandy and loamy
soil. |
CASSAVA
(credit: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture)
To help ensure food security and boost nutrition, every backyard garden should contain a section of easy to grow cassava. Cassava is an ornamental plant with many benefits.Description: A plant that produces edible large palmate leaves and underground edible strarchy tubers. Cassava typically grows to be between 5'-8' in height and approximately 4' in diameter. There are 2 common varieties; bitter and sweet. The sweet variety is far more popular.
How to grow: Start plants with 5” - 10” pieces of stem cut close to the stem post harvest. Make sure at least 3 or more knobby buds are visible on each stem. Cultivate the soil to loosen, create a shallow trench about 3”- 4” deep then lay two cassava stem pieces side by side about 3” - 4” apart, cover with soil, then water throughly. Keep soil moist, but not soggy and well weeded until plants grow taller than the surrounding weeds. Some farmers and garden resources recommend planting only one stem in each trench. Others advise planting just the bottom half ot two stems crossed. This method is easier, but less productive. In any case allow about 2.5' - 3' between plantings.
Disease and insect
control: Cassava is resistant to
most plant pests as the plant contains hydrocyanic
glycosides. White flies and
other insects may be controlled by placing large sheets
of stiff poster board
coated with oil close to plants. Ground moles and wee
wee ants are fond of
cassava. Moles
may be deterred by neem
oil and hot pepper spray.
How to harvest: Check
plants about 8 months post
planting. Most
varieties of cassava
ripen in approximately 9-12 months.
There are some varieties that are ready for
harvest in 5-6 months, check
these varieties 5 months post planting. Uproot one plant
to check that tubers
are at least 4” long.
Tubers typically
grow to be between 8” - 15” long and from 1” - 4” in
dismeter. Once the tubers
are harvested they must be used within 2-3 days post
harvest. Tubers
may be covered with water and
refrigerated to extend their viability by a few days. Black lines
running through the harvested
cassava indicates spoilage.
Health benefits: Cassava
tubers contains vitamin A,
phosophorous, calcium and riboflavin.
They are a good source of fiber and helps to
prevent constipation.
The leaves are high in protein and contain
vitamin C, some B vitamins and beta carotene.
Cassava peels have medicinal properties to help
promote healing of
injuries.
IN ORDER TO MAKE
CASSAVA SAFE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION, THE
TUBERS AND LEAVES MUST BE THROUGHLY COOKED.
COOKING REMOVES CYANIDE FROM THE ROOTS AND
LEAVES.
Here is a simple
effective way to process cassava to remove
cyanide. Peel
each tuber removing the
outer peel and the inner pinkish peel.
Wash each tuber, then cut the tubers into pieces
about 4” to 6”
long. Place
in a large pot cover with
water cover and boil over a low heat for at least 60
minutes, Drain the cooking
water then allow the pieces to cool.
Once the pieces are cool, cut each one in half
vertically remove the
stringy cord from the center and discard. Cassava leaves
must also be boiled prior
to eating them.
A simple basic
cassava recipe: Follow the directions
above to cook then cool the cassava pieces and cut into
'sticks' about ½ to ¾ “
wide. Heat coconut oil in a skillet to a low to medium
heat then add the
cassava pieces turning gently after about 2 minutes cook
for another 2 minutes,
then sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
Cooked cassava pieces may be added to soups or
made into desserts.
Deborah Harder's book:
'Fruits, Roots and Shoots: Using Tropical
Plants for Self Sufficiency'
contains a helpful guide to growing cassava with
many recipes and guides to
using cassava.
Sabals Cassava Farm, a
family owned and operated farm, is
located on Valley Road in Stann Creek.
They have many cassava products for sale and
operate tours about the
process of growing, harvesting and enjoying cassava
while honoring and
celebrating Garifuna culture.
Did you know that
tapioca is made from cassava?